Cross-Country Bike - A fast sports bike that also shines off-road.

Cross-country bikes, as the name suggests, can be used across country and are also sporty and fast. They can handle easy to moderate terrain, either in the mountains or even on bumpy trails when you just want to get off the road to explore the countryside. Other mountain bikes, on the other hand, can be used in the most demanding terrain and, depending on the variant, have their strengths in downhill or uphill sections, or even a good combination of both. The hardtail cross-country mountain bikes almost still look like the classic MTBs from the 1980s, but this does not mean that they are not up to date. Within the last 30 - 40 years, a number of groundbreaking developments have come onto the market that have revolutionized the cross-country MTB. The XC bikes are available for purchase as hardtail and fullys and usually have a carbon frame, which should keep the weight as low as possible and frames made of aluminum are therefore used rather rarely. The suspension often has a 100 mm travel, which is sometimes even a bit less, for more efficiency and direct power transmission to the pedals. The new design or geometry of the cross-country mountain bikes has been optimized so that they can easily climb up the mountain and still achieve the maximum speed on the race track. The low weight plays an important role in the cross-country bikes to master the constantly changing uphill and downhill passages effortlessly. For example, someone who uses it more as a road bike will have very different requirements than someone who rides more off-road. Since comfort plays a secondary role in a cross-country race, as with the road bike itself, you can quietly choose a hardtail for these purposes. A hardtail MTB is best suited for the slightly easier trails, while the fullys are better suited on bumpy and technically challenging trails. If you need a little less comfort and want to go full throttle, you are best served with a cross-country race hardtail MTB, which is additionally cheaper to purchase than a full suspension bike and is therefore also a good bike for beginners. The full suspension mountain bike is recommended for the more experienced bikers who also like to be challenged a bit and still have a pleasant driving experience. There are the cross-country mountain bikes as top modern race bikes with more propulsion, as well as versatile MTB variants, for pure driving fun on easy trails. They convince with speed, lightness and efficiency. Over the years, the XC bikes are constantly changing and there are now also the somewhat more comfortable Endurance XC bikes. The main focus is still on the climbs, but emphasis has also been placed on how the bike completes the descent. The mountain bikes can be purchased for just under 1000 euros as an entry-level hardtail model and for a few hundred euros more you also get a full-suspension MTB. Both variants are also available for purchase as e-bikes. Other mountain bikes are, for example, the down-country bikes, enduro bikes, trail bikes, downhill bikes, dirt jump bikes, or fat bikes. The down-country bikes, for example, have a lightweight XC-style frame with more suspension travel, trail-friendly geometry, as well as wider tires that guarantee speed and can continue to keep the pace during fast-paced downhill rides without compromising safety. Most of these MTB variants can also be found as e-mountain bikes. You can get some high-quality XC bikes from Cube, Specialized, Cannondale, Orbea or even Trek, among others. Among the current 2022 novelties, which are partly already World Cup tested, you will find among others Orbea Oiz H10 TR, Orbea Oiz M LTD, Trek Top Fuel 9. 7, Trek X-Caliber 8, Trek Top Fuel 7, Cube Elite C:62 Pro, Cube Elite C:68 SL Teamline, Cube Reaction C:62 One, Cube Reaction C:62 Pro, Specialized Epic, Specialized Epic Evo, Specialized Epic Hardtail, Cannondale F-Si Carbon 3 or even the Cannondale F-Si Carbon 4. Many of these novelties are also available as e-mountain bikes.
 

Always the best components for the terrain

The components are selected by the manufacturers with a close eye on the XC use and come from a variety of companies. Some bike manufacturers have their own product developments, which were perfectly designed for their own bikes to get the maximum out of the bike.

Derailleurs & Brakes

Cross-country riding also very often relies on the high-quality shift groups from Shimano and SRAM, such as the Shimano XTR or SRAM Eagle XX1 AXS. The two shifting groups meet on a par and convince with precise shifting behavior. With the brakes, the modern disc brakes come into play, which also mostly come from Shimano and SRAM. For some time now, almost only disc brakes have been installed in newer mountain bikes, which are far ahead of the rim brakes in terms of braking performance.

Damper

In the chassis, for example, the SRS Suntour suspension fork is a good choice, available with different configurations, whereby the XC forks are usually set with a 100 mm travel. Furthermore, you are also always right with a chassis of RockShox and Fox, whether in the suspension fork or also the rear shock.

Saddle / Seatpost & Handlebar / Wheels

It is important to choose the right saddle to determine its seat bone distance, so that you sit as comfortably as possible on the saddle without much slipping. Another plus is the right padding with good support and the ideally adjusted seatpost ensures a complaint-free ride. The handlebars as well as the stem should also be properly adjusted to guarantee the optimal seating position. This can determine whether the trip is a pleasure or rather an ordeal was, if the bike was incorrectly adjusted to the driver. Like most MTBs today, XC bikes come with 27.5 or 29 inch wheels as basic equipment, while the smaller 26 inch tires are used for dirt jump, freeride, or kids bikes. Were previously only the low weight, as well as the maximum propulsion important, so one relies today on stable tires that not only provide support on the sides, but also still have a good puncture protection. Very good results have for example the Schwalbe Racing Ray TLE Super Race Addix Speed 29 x 2.25", Schwalbe Racing Ralph TLE Super Race Addix Speed 29 x 2.25", Specialized S-Works Fast Trak Gripton T5/T7 2Bliss 29 x 2.35" or the Specialized S-Works Renegade Gripton T5/T7 2Bliss 29 x 2.35".

Additional equipment

To be well equipped for your next trip, many manufacturers also offer accessories such as water bottles, bottle cages, patching tools, spare tubes, bags and much more, and in addition, the right clothing can be chosen right away. Those who want to replace a few parts beforehand, or upgrade the bike, can also find the right components there.

How do I determine the right XC MTB for my purposes

A purchase consultation is always recommended, as the expert can point out what the ideal bike for you is and maybe you get a voucher on top of it, to be able to treat yourself to a little something.In addition to the mountain bikes and e-mountain bikes, there are a number of other types of bikes to buy, such as the road bikes, such as the road bike, cyclocross bike or even the triathlon and time trial bikes. Furthermore, there are also the Gravel Bikes, with which you can also sometimes ride off the road without immediately needing a MTB. Bikepacking bikes and trekking bikes are a mixture of gravel and mountain bikes or MTB and road bike and are often marketed as separate divisions due to high demand. Bickepacking bikes are used more for rough terrain, while trekking bikes are mostly used on the road. Many manufacturers also still offer a wide variety of bikes for urban use, such as city & tour bikes, commuting bikes, fitness bikes, transportation bikes, and several more categories. A large part of the bikes are also available for purchase from either one or the other producer as e-bikes, which now enjoy a much better reputation than before. Some companies also still offer separate bikes for women, as well as for children with sometimes different sizes per age group.